KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Pellissippi State Community College said Tuesday that the network system outage that has impacted students final exams appears to have been caused by a ransomware attack.

A spokesperson for the school said the scope of the ransomware attack is currently under investigation and they’re working to get its computer systems operational as soon as possible.

The outage was first reported by PSCC on Monday morning, and have continued over into Tuesday afternoon. At first, it was reported as network issues on campus, but now it seems to be a full outage and is affecting online final exams along with Brightspace, email and more.

In an update on Monday, the college said, “We are aware the alternate access to Brightspace is not working for most users, but students, take a deep breath. Our faculty and staff will help you work through technical issues with your finals. In the meantime, there are some resources for students on the TBR webpage where we are posting updates: https://www.tbr.edu/pellissippi-state-updates.”

Now, the college says the outage is still in effect and asks all to stay tuned to www.tbr.edu/pellissippi-state-updates for the most up-to-date information.

Here’s the latest:

“Faculty and students need to use the email inside Brightspace to communicate. If you cannot get into Brightspace with the alternate link, call HelpDesk at 865-694-6537 to help you access Brightspace.

Not all users have access to email or Teams, and if you do, you may lose access. It’s safe to use email or Teams for communication if you are already logged in, but don’t share or move files.

Virtual Student Services will be open today to help answer your questions. The Zoom link is posted at www.tbr.edu/pellissippi-state-updates. Commencement is still set for 7 p.m. Friday at Thompson-Boling Arena.”